Glances
by Diemerald
Summary: Glances into the lives of two young Pokémon trainers as they learn how, exactly, to deal with each other.
1. Chapter 1

**Trepidation**

"Well you said you wanted to meet someone new, right?"

"This is not what I meant and you know it."

Ruby might have known it, but that did nothing to make the situation better for anyone involved. Emerald was in a particularly pouty mood, and it was usually best to simply let those run their course. These always seemed to creep up right around this time- 3 am- but that was the only time to really get him talking. What he had meant is that he wanted to meet someone new that was challenging, that he could battle- his battling scene had been growing stale as of late. What he had not meant was meeting one of Ruby's friends, and he had certainly not implied a desire for all the decorum and politeness that would have to go into that encounter. Previous encounters with his new friends' connections had actually gone mostly well- he warmed to Ruby's father immediately after realizing he was a gym leader, and of course Sapphire's father was a well-known researcher. This time was different. This new person was named first as 'polite,' then as 'nice.' These were not words that Emerald could interact with well.

"I'm absolutely sure you'll like him. He's very likable, in fact!" Ruby's attempts to smooth things over, despite his good intentions, really couldn't be described as helpful. Luckily, Emerald was a bit more forthcoming with information than usual.

"He sounds like a stick in the mud. He sounds boring. …Alright, he sounds like he won't like me."

Ruby was a full year into his friendship with the small blond, but he was still caught by surprise. Emerald, always more guarded than most, was rare to present a moment of weakness at all if he could help it. They came as suddenly as they went- impossible to predict, fleeting but tantalizing glimpses at the truth behind a façade. Ruby learned most of what he really knew about his friend through moments just like this: secretly sensitive, more worried about what other people thought about him than he wanted people to know, offense was his primary means of defense. Ruby sighed, knowing he had his work cut out for him here. He finally ventured into it: "Would it help if I promised that he will like you? I mean, he likes everyone. I'm not sure he has the capacity to dislike anyone, actually."

"As a matter of fact no, that's actually not reassuring in the slightest. That sounds like exactly the kind of person who would end up disliking me, actually." Sighing all around then, as Emerald was just as exasperated. "…But fine, we'll do it your way this time."

"Oh, thank goodness. …You know I'm doing this for you, right?"

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm doing it, too."

 **Introductions**

"So I look alright, right?" This was surely the first time Ruby had ever heard him ask about his appearance.

"You look just like you usually do, which I suppose is fine. Now that you've started wearing your hair in a reasonable fashion and stepped out of those oversized clothes, I will admit you appear fairly presentable. Of course, if you were to allow me to make your outfit like I offered-"

"Blah blah blah, that's all I needed Rubes." Emerald, despite sounding calm and even dismissive, was pacing. "Okay, I'm all ready for this. Really, the amount of formality we're going through here is a bit ridiculous. You're sure I can't just challenge him to a battle as soon as he gets here?"

"You said we were doing it my way this time, right? If all else fails, you can battle him as a measure of last resort. But not before then!" The stage was set, the curtains rising. The air was warm, the ocean persisting in the background, as the air smelled only of salt water. It was a good day to meet someone.

"It's great to finally meet you! As a formal introduction, my name is Wally. And you are Emerald, yes?"

 _Here we go, he thought to himself. The least sincere, most formal encounter I have ever been a part of. He's already speaking more formally than I could if I tried._ "Uh, yeah, that's me!" was the calculated response he had settled on some time before the meeting. Everything about him was stiff, from the way he spoke to the way he was carrying himself. Stiff and uncomfortable.

And so the conversation went: stiff and uncomfortable. They'd met on the beach, so at least there was some scenery, but even that couldn't help much. Every smile and nod of interest from Wally was fell flat as Emerald tried in vain to get his bearings. Geez, Emerald thought. I'm actually trying, but I'm still doing terribly! Ruby was trying to keep the peace, and mostly failing at the task. Everyone was looking for a way out, or at least something to talk about. It was time for something drastic- finally, a type of action Emerald was good at taking. _Sorry Ruby, but this qualifies as "last resort."_

The small trainer sprang up, long hair flopping in his face and simultaneously proclaiming his challenge with a squeak: "Wally! Battle me!" Without even waiting for a reaction, he grabbed one of his Pokéballs and threw it.

For just a second, no one said anything. Ruby was grumbling, trying to brush off all the sand his friend had just splashed on him, and Wally just looked a bit confused. But suddenly, that changed to a look of recognition: "Grovyle! You've really grown up!" And just like that, Emerald's Pokémon was hugging his new acquaintance. Now it was his turn to be confused. "Oh, Emerald, didn't Ruby tell you? I took care of him for a while, even while he was a Treecko!"

The look Emerald gave Ruby at that moment could have sank an entire fleet. The meaning was crystal clear: _WHY would you not tell me that? That is literally the most obvious thing to talk about we could have avoided all of this!_ Ruby cowled, shrugging and muttering "I thought you already knew!" as if it would help him now.

At last, Ruby was spared by way of Emerald turning his gaze. He looked at Wally once more, with one big difference: this time, he was smiling. Really and truly smiling. "So you know all about what he was like when he was younger, right? Tell me about him!" _Now I'm excited_ , he thought. _I think maybe I can manage this after all._

 **Alternatives**

Emerald was beyond angry this time. He was furious. Livid. He stood in front of the sign, daring someone to make the joke. Behind him, the sign's mocking horizontal line poked out just above his head, taunting him mercilessly. The phrase was already being burned into his mind: "You must be this tall to ride this ride." At that moment, he imagined he was a dragon. A dragon who could stomp on and burn down this entire amusement park for daring to refuse someone entry based on height. It didn't help much, but he felt a little better.

He turned to look at his companions. Ruby and Sapphire looked apologetic- but in the way that says: "Sorry, but we're still going on this ride without you." Wally just looked concerned. Someone had to break the silence. "A-actually, in my condition I probably shouldn't be riding this sort of thing anyway. Come on, we can do other things while Ruby and Sapphire do this!"

 _So Wally's the one who took pity on poor little Emerald,_ he thought to himself. _Guess he got the short end of the stick. Or was that a legitimate excuse?_ Then a pause, as he realized he'd accidentally made yet another short pun. Then a small groan to himself. One extra pause, just to complain to himself about the bad day he was having. Then back to the main issue at hand: this green enigma of smiles and politeness.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he realized he still hadn't given an answer. There was no real way out of this social contact- he was backed into a corner. "Um, yeah. Okay." As they walked away from the line, all of Emerald's anger gave way to an odd sense of contentment. This is fine, he reasoned. This is fine. At least I'm not on my own. And as long as we're here, I'm going to make the most of it. "So…" he finally broke the silence of their walk, glancing at everything but his travel companion. "What's your opinion on ice cream?"

The response was immediate and pronounced: "I love ice cream! Can we get some right now? Is there ice cream here in the park?"

Now this. This was a fantastic turn of events. And he happened to actually have an answer. "Yeah, yeah I totally saw an ice cream stand while we were walking over. It's close, too!"

So this is where they found themselves, eating ice cream at an amusement park while their friends ditched them in favor of the rides. He had to admit it: Emerald sometimes surprised himself by just how incorrect his assumptions could be. He wasn't sure what he expected, but this was certainly not what he had in mind. The messy green hair, slight head tilt, and the way he closed his eyes a little bit when he smiled made him perpetually look like he had just woken up from a nap. Despite the relaxed appearance, he was extremely polite- and despite his politeness, it was easy to see spots of determination in his eyes. He felt like a melting pot of personalities, and Emerald wasn't sure how to pin him down. He was quite unusual, an unknown variable, and that put most of the dexholder's thoughts on him.

 _Boy, he thought. This kid is a dork._

 **Accusations**

"Oh? You and Wally are hanging out on your own again?" Emerald thought he heard a hint of accusation in his fashionable friend's lilt, but he couldn't be sure over the phone.

"Um… yes? There's a new ice cream stand opening in Slateport today, so…" And it was true, there were no ulterior motives to be found here. Isn't this what Ruby wanted? He wanted them to be friends, so they were being friends. It had been a few months and, after one too many group outings that went south (quickly devolving into Wally and Emerald making faces at each other while Ruby and Sapphire did a little more than that with each other's faces), the pair had finally started venturing off on their own. And, frankly, that was going much better than he had expected. "Well, you two have fun then~" _There it goes again._ Emerald was getting suspicious, but the call was ended before he could make any accusations. Well, nevermind that now. He had a date- no, no, not a date- a meeting that he was about to be late for.

He found him sitting in the sand, staring out at the sea. His new friend looked so peaceful, Emerald wasn't sure if he should interrupt him. But his loud, awkward tromping through the sand- it's amazing how clumsy a person can become with their own legs when they've become used to an extension- alerted the boy almost immediately, and he turned with a smile: "Oh, there you are! I was just watching the waves while I waited for you. I've always thought they were exceptionally beautiful, don't you agree?" He did agree, but wasn't sure how to say it. "Uh, yeah, I guess they are pretty… interesting to look at, at least."

That giggle was going to plague Emerald for the rest of his days. "Heehee, you know that you don't have to pretend to be anything around me, right? Just like I've started to use contractions and less than proper diction around you, you don't have to put up any fronts here!"

"I wasn't-!" Halfway through his objection, he thought better of it. Clearly, he'd underestimated the ability of the other boy to see through an act. Not to mention the half-confession, half-point Wally had made just then. Emerald had noticed a difference, but the details were hard to pinpoint. "Alright, I guess I was. That's. A weird sensation. I'm not used to not pretending, so sorry if I offended you or whatever." The apology may have sounded half-hearted, but it really was genuine.

Still looking out at the sea, Wally's normal slight smile found its way into a bit of a frown. "Emerald," he began slowly, "if you don't like me, you should just say so now."

Well. Straight to the point as always then. It had already been a few weeks since their first meeting, and Emerald felt a bit confused. On the one hand, Wally seemed extremely forthcoming in details about himself. The blond had already learned about his illness, the way he was shut in for the early parts of his life- essentially everything. Of course, Emerald hadn't returned the favor. Even after telling several people, it was still rather tough to talk about his past. And then there was the other hand- why did Wally seem so perfect? He was kind, thoughtful, and social in all the ways that Emerald was not. Sure, he might have a few gripes with this and that, but largely Emerald couldn't find anything he necessarily disliked about the boy.

This was a rarity.

"Wait, I don't-" despite his current thoughts, Emerald was struggling to find the words. He paused for a moment to collect himself, then began in earnest. "No, I don't dislike you. I know I must seem distant… but honestly, I do that to everybody. I'd rather not get into why exactly right now though. Let's just say that certain past experiences have left me a bit guarded." _Well, now I've gone and done it, he thought to himself. I've already told him more than I was hoping too, and I'm sure he won't be satisfied with just that._

But then, oddly enough: "Okay Emerald, I'll trust you on that. I hope I wasn't being too intrusive! Thank you for telling me." He was back, smile and all, just like it had never left.

"Wait, that's it? You seemed really concerned there for a second…"

"Yes, that's it! I trust you to give an honest answer, and that's exactly what you did. I don't need to know anything else."

"Wow, that's… weird to me. I think the reason is… you're simple. You know what you want, and you know how to get it. I don't get that."

His smile was smaller than Emerald had ever seen it, but still alive. His laugh, like his voice, was almost a whisper. "Hee hee. I suppose you could think of it that way. Or maybe I'm just pretending I know what I'm doing."

 **Denial**

Now this. This was absolutely not supposed to happen. Out of every possible thing on the "should not happen" list, this was absolutely at the top. With every thought, every action, Emerald tried to refute what he seemed to be telling himself. He had just gotten done hanging out with Wally, and he had a good time. Actually, he had a great time. A fantastic time. Not only was his green-haired friend nice to be around, it also seemed like he really understood him. He wasn't as pushy with his interests as Ruby, and he wasn't nearly as abrasive as Sapphire. And he gave him space when he wasn't ready to talk about something, unlike some of his other friends. _Not to mention how calming it is just to be around him, he mused._ Objectively speaking, Wally might just fit in the position of the perfect friend.

There was something nagging at Emerald, though, something he didn't want to admit to himself- much less anyone else. He liked Wally a lot, but he had other friends he liked a lot too. So why was he feeling differently than he'd felt getting to know them? He tried his best to objectify it, to characterize his feelings: _I feel… interested, there's a good word for it. Not exactly that I like him better or anything like that. There's just that… feeling that I want to get to know him as well as possible, as fast as possible. But… no, I must be overthinking this._

Wally had let him in that day on the beach, even if just a little. Into more than his surface-level past, right into all of his inner thoughts. For all Emerald said about himself keeping secrets, he sometimes forgot that everyone else had secrets like that too. The big reveal, really mostly an off-hand comment, was still a bit unnerving for him. But in a way, that trust was actually very flattering. _This is what you get for taking forever to connect with people,_ he complained. _You think it's some sort of personal show of solidarity when they tell you the smallest thing about themselves. Besides, what would that sort of flattery even mean to you? It's not as if you-_

His very thoughts stopped in their tracks. After a moment, "no" was the word of choice to start back up with. _No. No I can't have actually meant where that thought was going._ Another beat. The realization was coming for him, whether he wanted it to or not. He only had two words: _oh no._

 **Simple**

Emerald had always hated how easily he blushed. It was right up there with an incredibly small comfort zone and a tendency to over-exaggerate on the list of small things he would change about himself in an instant.

Unfortunately for him, all three had come into effect in extremely short order.

They were going swimming. All four of them. Why Sapphire was so insistent on the idea, he couldn't say. It was just one of those things- either they did what she wanted to do, or they'd wish they had. Among other things that he just didn't have the answers for was just how he could have been talked into it. Not that he disliked swimming; like a true Hoenn native, he found it very refreshing. No, this was something else.

It was a size thing. It was always a size thing. Sure, he'd grown older, even grown a little taller. Just a little. And he'd also learned, finally, to not be quite so uncomfortable with his body. He wore his hair naturally now, and his clothes actually fit for the first time in years. He looked at himself in the mirror occasionally. Progress was made.

But that only stretched so far. Swimming meant going without a shirt, and going without a shirt guaranteed that everyone would be able to see him exactly as he was. He had briefly thought about what that usually meant, socially, and he didn't like what he came up with. Judgment was the order of the day. He could impress gawkers with his strategic prowess all he wanted, but he knew that as soon as they saw him there would be a laugh. Maybe just one, just a single person, but at some point someone would stop taking him seriously. And above most other things, he hated not being taken seriously.

So here he was, already cautious about the day's events but going through with them nonetheless. Here he was standing in his room, already changed into his trunks, sighing with his shirt in his hands. And there he was, suddenly: "Hey, Ruby's wondering if you're almost ready to go-" Wally stopped his sentence short as he started to get a feel for how the situation was unfolding. Emerald's surprise, and his equally surprising blush, was enough to make Wally do the same.

Emerald was about as angry about the situation as he was embarrassed. _It's bad enough he was going to see me like this at all, but it feels completely different in private! And why did it have to be him?_ Vaguely, he tried to rationalize to himself that it really is almost the same situation, that this shouldn't be a big deal. Really, it's just a shirt! It's not like it's anything bad, or anything he wasn't expecting. They were going swimming anyway; he would have seen him anyway. By all accounts, it didn't make much sense to make a big deal out of it.

 _The annoying thing about rationalizing_ , Emerald mused to himself, _is that it tends to fail when you're prone to being irrational._

It was Wally that finally broke the silence of the past few seconds, a simple muttering of "I'll meet you outside I guess…" as a way of getting out of the awkward situation.

"Um. Hold on." It was hard to tell who was more surprised. Only able to shout _why would you do that_ to himself in his head, Emerald carried on: "I'm… sorry that wasn't the best reception. This just isn't very natural for me and I'm still trying to get used to… opening up to people, I mean not just emotionally but physically too-" _Get ahold of yourself, you idiot. You ramble when you're nervous._ "Okay, anyway I just. Wanted to say that that was a me thing, not a you thing, and-"

Miraculously, he was cut off. "Emerald, if you're uncomfortable, you could just swim with your shirt on! I mean, that's what I'm doing. Anyway, I'll get out of your way."

Then he simply left. As if it were the most natural thing in the world. Emerald was dumbfounded. All of that, the situation that had become so much more embarrassing than was necessary, dispelled in a single sentence. _I guess he thinks a lot more simply than I do_ , he mused to himself. _Huh. That was so simple._ A pause. Then another thought, completely unbidden: _I wonder if he thought I looked cute without a shirt on?_

Emerald sat down on his bed and promptly slammed his face into the nearest pillow. This was awful. The absolute worst.


	2. Chapter 2

**Late**

Wally was pretty sure that being friends wasn't supposed to be this hard. It wasn't this hard with Ruby. It wasn't this hard with Sapphire. But there he was, at two in the morning in Emerald's secluded secret base, trying to convince Emerald once again that _no_ , he in fact was not hanging out with him because Ruby asked him to. Yes, he did enjoy his company specifically. Yes, he wanted to do this again. Just maybe not as late next time?

Somewhere, some way, Emerald had apparently gotten it in his head that Wally might not like him. This was, of course, despite the fact that they had been friends for several months now. They'd already had this whole song and dance in reverse, too- but that was different! Wally at least had reason to suspect Emerald didn't like him back then, in those early days when they barely talked. You might expect that talking every day, often about sensitive things (but never quite breaking through Emerald's wall) might clue Emerald in to the fact that Wally did, in fact, like and appreciate him. No such luck. Now, the most direct way to assuage his friend's misplaced fear would be to bring it up directly, which Wally did. Or at least, he tried to. All too often it became a case of "oh, I'm sure you're just saying that" or "look, I know that can't seriously be it." When Emerald got something in his head, Wally had learned, it was immensely hard to get it out.

 _Well, it's not like I don't understand where he's coming from,_ Wally thought to himself. He was still, still missing specifics, but he had managed to pick up bits and pieces of his friend's past throughout the last few months. And with that came a few rules to follow, self-imposed, while talking with the little blond enigma. Don't talk about his height- obviously. Don't ask about anything that had happened to him before he met Ruby and Sapphire- those details were given, not asked for. And don't talk about family. The first two Wally picked up naturally, but the third was something he'd gotten burned on before. It was a quick exchange: "Say, Emerald, I've never heard you talk about your family!" Followed by: "There is literally nothing I would rather do less." And that was that.

So here he was, up far later than he would like for the third time this week, trying desperately not to be _too_ invasive, all while his friend almost seemed to expect such questions. He'd make some passing mention to a past event- "Oh yeah, I heard about that while I was living in Johto," for example. Then he'd shoot a glance at Wally. The kind of quick glance that would almost come dangerously close to revealing his true feelings, were it only a little longer. And then he'd wait. Wally knew he was expected to take the bait. What he didn't know was how he was expected to respond. Emerald veered wildly between sharing everything and nothing, and though Wally suspected his preferences leaned towards "everything," his actions tended more towards "nothing." Every conversation was a balancing act. This was new territory for both of them.

That's not to imply Wally wasn't any good at this. "Say, Wally," Emerald started. Short and direct. Short and direct was good. Emerald's lengthier sentences tended to drift from the truth, Wally had found. He spoke loudly and often when he wanted everyone to hear what he was saying and not what he was thinking, putting unnecessary frills onto his sentences like ill-fitting clothing. When he wanted you to know what he was thinking, his sentences became more pointed. It was a habit Wally often found himself drifting into (though not with nearly as much mechanical execution) so it was pretty easy to pick out. "Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you?"

Well, he could still be surprised. "I… no, actually, you haven't!" This was just like him, too, to say something so important so quietly.

"Well, I mean it." Wally bit his lip. He'd thought Emerald was already done. _So, tonight is of the "everything" persuasion, is it?_ "I just wanted to say… thank you. For putting up with me for this long, giving me someone to talk to. Even if I, uh, don't always know how to say what I want to say."

They were getting somewhere. Emerald was letting him in. He had to continue, but cautiously: "...Emerald. I won't press for details, but… if there's anything you want to tell me, you should know that I'll always be happy to hear it!"

Color rose to Emerald's face, just as Wally expected it might, and he flashed a quick smile in a vain attempt to hide it.. His friend, in his experience at least, blushed from embarrassment very easily. _It's honestly pretty cute…_ Wally allowed himself a moment to trail off from his initial train of thought for that particular observation, then returned to the game of friendship chess he'd cooked up for himself. It looked as though Emerald had taken the bait, as he started to stutter out a response: "Well… I mean, that's really nice of you to offer… maybe sometime… I could probably tell you some things, I guess."

It was circular, it was ambiguous, it was evasive. But it was progress.

 **Wrong**

It was a week later. Wally knew no more about Emerald than he had the week before.

This time the two of them, accompanied by Ruby and Sapphire, were sitting around a campfire on the beach. It was another one of these dead-of-night revelatory conversations that Wally was very concerned to realize were happening with high frequency. Somehow, the conversation had gotten over to Ruby's father, and there was something to be concerned about in that topic for sure. Ruby's immediate tension was palpable… but it was best to not pry. At least not when Ruby got like that. It looked like Emerald wasn't the only one whose emotional state he didn't have a complete grasp on. Everyone was still trying to find each other's boundaries, and things like this could happen pretty frequently. Sometimes, what seemed like a sound solution might just be the wrong one at the time. They were all guilty of this, of course, but Wally still found himself beating himself up when he missed his mark. Already careful about his dialogues in the first place, Wally only became more resolute in his desire to handle these situations well as his time with these friends went on.

That's why Wally was determined to resolve the situation as smartly as he could. As a segue, Wally brought up his own parents, talked about how much he loved them… only to see Emerald visibly stiffen. Everything and everyone stopped for a moment. _I broke my own rule,_ he realized belatedly. _I broke my own rule and now he's mad._ Although it had been for the sake of one friend, he went against the guidelines he set for the comfort of another.

Then he did something odd. He got a little angry. He got a little indignant. All this work on their friendship and this is what he gets? Then he thought that maybe it wasn't too late, maybe he could turn this around. He still didn't want to push him- just calmly nudge him into sharing something, anything- but it was too late after all, and his friend was already muttering and walking off.

Wally… never got mad at anyone, not really. And yet, there was just _something_ about that reaction, that complete lack of connection to his friends, that rubbed him the wrong way. At the time, he'd thought to himself: _WHY is he like that? Maybe I accidentally stepped over the line, fine, I'll accept that. But he could at least communicate with us..._

Sapphire, apparently the only one saved from inconvenient emotions at the moment, stepped in to explain the situation. "Sorry, Wally. That's just a bit of a sore subject for him. His parents… ahh, I'm not sure it's for us to say."

 _Yeah, I'm well aware._ Wally thought to himself for a bit. Ruminated. Considered alternatives. But no, if he ever wanted to figure these people out, he'd have to meet them head-on at some point.

"I'll see if he's ready to tell me, then." His voice was level, direct, as he got up to follow his friend. It had a tinge of the sort of determination he might feel during a Pokémon battle, a quality that Ruby and Sapphire both picked up on immediately.

"Um, Wally?" Ruby was the one to give voice to his concern, though cautiously. "Are you okay? You sound… a bit intense."

Wally swiveled around at that, almost falling in the shifting sand in the process. But he recovered quickly: "...Don't read too much into that tone, please! I'm fine."

Despite disappearing into the night, there was one problem with Emerald's otherwise masterful escape plan: all he'd actually done was walk up the beach a ways, and his footprints remained in the sand. Out of earshot, but still close enough for Wally to catch up in short order. Which he did, stomping through the sand and ready to get some answers.

Then, a moment Wally would instantly regret: "Emerald, if you could please just tell me what's going on with you-"

It was wrong. It was calm, certainly. It was also pointed, a little sharp, fair, and still tinged with worry. But as soon as his friend turned around, tears in his eyes, he knew it was the wrong thing to say this time.

 **Apologies**

Fleeting moments. Half-said whispers of "sorry." Slivers of pretending nothing was wrong. Worrying. That was how Wally's few interactions with Emerald had gone over the past few days. That was a problem. Not knowing how to fix it? Another problem. This was not how this was supposed to go.

It was time for Wally to think critically about how to solve his problem. Well, how did he normally solve his problems? In his experience, facing them head-on was usually the best way to go. If he wasn't strong enough, he trained to get stronger. If he relied too much on other people, he'd start to do things more independently. But he'd already tried that! He went up to his friend directly, fought to approach the situation from a mature angle, and he'd only made things worse. Maybe he needed a radical shift in logic. Or maybe he just needed to get to know Emerald better.

"I think you just need to get to know our Emerald a bit better!" Wally rolled his eyes- a rarity- as his friend Ruby echoed his earlier thoughts.

"I _have_ been trying, you know! And I thought we were getting somewhere. I really thought we were getting somewhere. I just don't understand him when he gets like this- why he gets like this."

Ruby sighed, then pulled his hat back and ran his hands through his hair. _He's getting better about showing his scar,_ Wally noted. To be fair, they were safely hidden away in Wally's seaside Secret Base, so there was no risk of others seeing him. Still, Wally knew his friend's preferences, and considered it almost a privilege that he was one of the few Ruby was comfortable enough to do that around.

"Okay," Ruby started. "I'm not going to tell you everything he's told me about his past- I'm pretty sure he wants to tell you that himself. What I _am_ going to do is try to give you a bit of perspective. Emerald is… new to this. He hasn't exactly… had the opportunity to make friends until recently. You didn't do anything wrong, not really, and I think he knows that. Still. He just needs some time to adjust, I think."

This wasn't necessarily news to Wally, but it did make him think. _I don't necessarily agree that I didn't do anything wrong,_ he mused to himself. _Maybe I really was just too impatient. It's not often that happens. But I guess I was caught off-guard this time._

"Okay Ruby." Wally had a much calmer voice now, steadier. "I know what I have to do now."

"Oh, already? And what is it you've decided?"

"I need to get to know him better, it's true. More than that, I need to understand him on his own terms."

"Emerald!" Wally shouted over the gusts of wind. The waves of the beach they found themselves on crashed. It was windy, very windy, as though a storm was coming later in the day and had dispatched the wind to trumpet its arrival. "Emerald, I have something I want to ask you!"

Emerald's long hair flowed in the wind as he walked close enough to speak plainly. He pushed it out of his eyes as soon it went in. His face seemed almost confused, not sure whether to frown or just look irritated. "Well? What?" Pointed. Direct. Quick. It hurt a little, but Wally was determined. He found his solution.

"Actually, that's not quite right. I have something to tell you. I challenge you to a Pokémon battle."

 **Battle**

Wally figured he had made one mistake, and only one, in his master plan. As he stood in the sand, wind whipping his face, he thought to himself: _...Wait. Did I forget to come up with a strategy?_

Emerald, standing with his Snorlax, looked reasonably baffled. "...Uh. Aren't you going to call out your Pokémon?"

"Right, right, of course I am!" Luckily, Wally had trained his team well. Both he and his team had become adept at adapting to new situations. _Still,_ he thought, _I'm not exactly sure I can beat the champion of the Battle Frontier. But I have to try!_ With that, he threw out his first Pokémon: Altaria.

"Snorlax, Take Down!" Emerald yelled out his command with a ferocity Wally was almost expecting, though certainly not hoping for. Snorlax leapt forward, closing the distance between the two Pokémon much faster than you might expect.

"Altaria, Cotton Guard!" Wally was ready for his opponent's sudden attack, and his words reached Altaria just before Snorlax did. Cotton grew and expanded out of Altaria's body, shielding the blow as Snorlax's body connected. Altaria was pushed back through the air, but cooed triumphantly as it emerged relatively unscathed. Snorlax followed the attack through though, slamming into the ground with a loud thud.

As it slowly rose to its feet, Emerald paused for just a second, then shouted another command to Snorlax: "We're changing our strategy! Belly Drum!" There was an intense glimmer in the eyes of the large Pokémon as she violently struck her stomach, an odd and deep sound ringing out across the beach. Both trainer and Pokémon smiled, ready to attack. Wally's spirits lifted: _He's actually smiling!_

All things considered, the battle was unfolding rather well for Wally. His opponent had maxed his Pokémon's attack, yes, but the negative effects of that decision along with the previously sustained recoil damage put them in a very vulnerable position. His decision to counter Snorlax with his most physically defensive Pokémon was already paying off, and he had the upper hand.

Emerald's assault was as immediate as it was aggressive. "Take Down!" he shouted, surprising Wally not only with the gamble of using another recoil-inducing move but also with the speed at which Snorlax followed the dangerous order.

Thinking quickly, he reacted: "Altaria, Dragon Claw!" A single limb emerged from the mounds of cotton surrounding Altaria, and it glowed with power before striking its rapidly-approaching target. On impact, the beast winced, slightly but visibly, and then put its full weight into its attack with renewed vigor. Again Altaria slammed backwards, harder this time as it hadn't had time to prepare for the attack. _They must have a plan to be so in-sync with each other,_ Wally mused in the moments following this exchange. _But there's an opening. Snorlax must be about ready to faint by now. We'll just have to smash through and take Snorlax down before they can enact it!_ "Altaria, Dragon Claw once more!"

Altaria's claw went straight for Snorlax's head, and connected in spectacular fashion. Snorlax recoiled from the blow and was knocked off balance. Wally stared intently, thinking it would tip over and give him the early lead. Wally was wrong.

"Snorlax, Rest!"

With a relieved look on its face, the beast slammed to the ground and immediately fell asleep.

 _Oh, that's his game!_ Wally thought with a start. _He was getting as much out of his Pokémon as possible before healing it. But wait- this is Emerald. There's no way he's willing to wait for his Pokémon to wake up, which means…_

"Altaria, Roost!" Wally knew what was coming, and he wasn't about to just wait for his opponent's plan to come to fruition without taking the opportunity it afforded him.

And just like that, he watched as Snorlax, still asleep, raised a berry to its mouth and tossed it in. It was just as Wally suspected: a Chesto Berry. Snorlax woke up in an instant, fresh and ready to go. But Altaria was healed up too.

The battle reached a pause, but just for a moment. "You know…" Emerald adopted a taunting voice now, and Wally thought that maybe, just maybe he was seeing the hint of a grin on his friend's face. "If you had prioritized Dragon Dance, you might have been able to overwhelm us before we Rested back to full health. I know that Altaria knows it!"

Wally responded in kind: "Yeah, and if you had started with Belly Drum you might have overcome our Cotton Guard defense!"

Emerald laughed, actually laughed. Not a vindictive laugh, not a contentious laugh, a sincere and honest laugh. "Yeah, but I was a little mad and not thinking very clearly."

Wally's heart soared. Emerald was back. "And what are you now?"

"I suppose I'm… a little less mad. Okay, round two!"

Emerald and Wally sipped at their milkshakes, sitting across from each other at a picnic table.

"I've gotta say," Emerald said excitedly, "baiting me into burning Altaria with Dusknoir because you knew you could take advantage of Natural Cure? That was some quality strategizing!"

Wally laughed. "Thanks! We've been working on drawing out Altaria's strengths, and we came up with that defensive strategy. I'm proud of him!"

Then Emerald got quiet. _Something big always happens when he gets quiet_ , Wally thought to himself. _He'll say my name next, then say his piece._

"Wally. I am sorry. I'm still new at this- having people who care about me. I overreacted. I know apologizing doesn't really fix anything, but-"

Wally generally refrained from cutting people off while they talk, but he made an exception here. "Emerald, please! The apology is enough, really."

And then Emerald was crying. "I really," he started choking out, "I really almost lost you just cause I can't handle my own stupid insecurities, didn't I?"

Wally smiled softly and reached across the table, picking up his friend's hands and holding them in his own. "Lose me? You weren't going to lose me! I was mad, yeah, and I was afraid you weren't ever going to talk to me! But Emerald, it's not like I was about to give up on you!"

"...Gosh, Wally, I'm. I'm so sorry."

"Hey, I'm sorry too! For pushing you, I mean. I should have given you some space."

"Even so, I shouldn't have been such a jerk-"

"Emerald! We're both sorry about what happened. That's enough for me! Is it enough for you?"

Silence. Lowered eyes. Finally, he rose to meet Wally's gaze. And he nodded, just once.

It was enough.


End file.
